The Kearny High School graduate has coached boys’ gymnastics for 15 years, sending six athletes to Junior Olympic Nationals along the way.

Last week, Pinho left for Portland, Ore. with two of the gymnasts he coaches at Meadowlands Gymnastics Academy in East Rutherford for the 2013 JO Nationals.

"It’s always awesome," said Pinho, who has coached boys to nationals in California, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and Minnesota.

"Every time we get to nationals and go to the first training session, we get all psyched up. It’s super exciting to see some of the best gymnasts in the world compete. Having the ability to be there is incredible," he said.

Pinho came to Kearny at age 11 from Brazil, where he took recreational gymnastics classes as a young kid. Once in the United States, he asked his mother to sign him up for classes at a gym in Nutley, where he quickly moved up to the boys’ team and competed for five years.

While in the gym he met Jackie Sarao, a 9-year-old competitive gymnast and dancer from Jersey City. As they grew older, the pair became a couple and together opened Meadowlands Gymnastics Academy two years ago. They got married last fall.

"She’s the glue that holds this place together and lets me do what I love, which is coach," said Pinho, noting that she handles all of the office functions and also coaches the gym’s new competitive girls’ team.

Both also coach recreational gymnastics and tumbling classes.

While Pinho began teaching recreational classes at 15, his career took off at 19 when he was given the job of coaching the compulsory boys’ team at the Nutley gym. Soon after, several coaches left and he began coaching at the optional level, which is the highest competitive level.

"At 19 I never gave it a thought that this could be my career," he recalled. "All of a sudden I was doing what I loved. I just hoped it would be some part of my life forever."

In addition to teaching skills, coaches have the tough job of keeping young gymnasts motivated in a sport that requires training year-round. Pinho said the most difficult part of the job is helping athletes stay focused and overcome their fears.

"It’s an inherently dangerous sport if you don’t do things right, and kids know that," he explained. "It’s not like kicking a soccer ball or hitting a baseball. I take that responsibility for their safety very seriously every day. The best coaches in gymnastics teach kids how to deal with their fears, not to avoid skills."

In addition to qualifying for nationals, Pinho’s gymnasts through the years have won numerous state and regional titles. Today his team includes boys who travel from as far away as Pompton Plains and Bernardsville to benefit from his coaching abilities.

But when he discusses his successes as a coach, Pinho doesn’t point to national qualifiers or state champions. Instead, he focuses on the character he helps to instill in his team.

"I feel like my number one coaching philosophy has always been to raise good people first and good athletes second," he explained. "In a sport that’s so individual, our team is at its best when we’re together competing and training and pushing each other in the gym. We’re a very tight crew."